


The Omega

by tonystarking



Category: Jupiter Ascending (2015)
Genre: Friendship, Male Friendship, Prequel
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-02-13
Updated: 2015-02-13
Packaged: 2018-03-12 05:38:41
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,409
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3345560
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tonystarking/pseuds/tonystarking
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Stinger is put in charge of gathering lycantants for the Legion military and visits Wise Genetics to choose from the splice stock. While the large Alpha is impressive, it is the small runt of the litter that catches Stinger's attention.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Omega

**Author's Note:**

  * For [auri_mynonys](https://archiveofourown.org/users/auri_mynonys/gifts).



> Dedicated to auri_mynonys, who convinced me to actually sit down and write this instead of just musing about it.

Stinger’s eyes miss nothing from his position above the fighting pit. Even from far away, his genetically superior vision would catch the slightest movement of the lycantants paraded below. Cullen Wise, the owner and breeder of the wolf splices, claps his hands, and his black-clad guards exit the arena, locking the gates against the products.

“As you will,” Cullen calls to them. “Please, show our guest here the best of your abilities.” At first, none of the lycantants move; they look at each other questioningly. Then, Cullen clears his throat, hesitantly looking at Stinger from the corner of his eyes, and says, “This man is looking for good soldiers, not just for the Legion, but for the Skyjumpers.” Stinger’s transparent, venous wings twitch where he has them tucked against his back.

These words seem to breathe life into the splices, the promise of the elite Legion posting hovering just out of their reach. The largest of them, a man with dark skin and golden eyes, quickly rounds on a smaller male, and a fight breaks out.

Stinger judges everyone in the pit to be over six feet, the tallest male, the one whose teeth and claws cut like knives, quite possibly over seven.

“The Alpha,” Cullen says, gesturing to the biggest. “Byrne.”

Byrne Wise fights with a surprising grace for his size, easily taking down the tawny male who, while large, has no chance against him. Byrne holds the other male’s neck in his fangs but does not draw blood. The other male yields, and Byrne releases him. The tawny drops his eyes, slinking away from his alpha. Had he a tail, it would be between his legs.

“Pack dynamics can be quite tedious, but necessary for lycantants. As a group, they would all be well-suited for the Legion.” Cullen preens as other males slink around Byrne, unwilling to challenge his dominance.

“So you’re trying to sell us all of them at once?” Stinger asks. “That wouldn’t be because you’re just trying to make money, would it?”

Cullen laughs, clear and loud. It echoes down into the pit. “Of course not. You see how they work.” He steps just to the edge of the arena, his guards moving in sync with him. “Byrne, if you would, command a show for us.”

Without a word, Byrne fixes a tall female with a glare. The woman steps forward and brushes her pin-straight dark hair from her golden face. Her eyes are two dark pits, the epicanthic folds hinting at the human genetics in her. She leaps towards another dark male, one bigger than her, and the two scuffle on the ground, all fists and snarls. She is quick and precise, her blows never missing their mark. Stinger is impressed but refuses to show it.

“Ciara is the Beta of the pack, Byrne’s second in command as it were,” Cullen says. “She makes sure that his rule is law even when he is not present.”

Ciara’s fight ends in blood. When the male does not back down, Ciara digs her teeth into his neck, forcing him onto his back where he yelps.

“Enough,” Byrne commands. Ciara immediately stops, the male’s blood dribbling down her chin. As soon as she backs away from him, he scuffles back into the group and away from the center fighting space of the arena.

The gap in the group leaves a lycantant Stinger has not yet seen standing front and center. He’s the smallest of them, barely over six feet, and pale. His skin has a smattering of freckles, but his hair is a pale blond. He steps forward without any hesitation and grows at Ciara.

Ciara growls back and looms over him. Their bodies have barely the whisper of a space left between them.

“Ballocks,” Cullen whispers beneath his breath, but Stinger catches it. He whispers something to the guard on his right, who immediately takes off at a run down the steps of the arena.

Whatever he told the guard, it doesn’t stop the fight that erupts in the pit. Ciara tackles the small lycantant and immediately rips her nails into his skin. Fresh blood coats the arena floor. The two roll over and over, fists seeking purchase and nails rending. Her teeth seeks his neck, but his defenses keep her from her goal. He, on the other hand, seeks to nip at her with just as much fury.

Cullen clears his throat. “As I said, pack dynamic can be… tedious.”

The smallest male successfully lands a blow on Ciara forehead, and blood runs down into her left eye. He kicks her away, giving him enough space to stand. In the small break between them, Byrne tackles the pale boy, and he has to turn his attention to fighting the Alpha.

“What is the name of that one?” Stinger asks.

The shock is evident in Cullen’s voice. “H-him? Oh. He is… He is Caine Wise, the Omega.” Stinger motions for more information, never letting his eyes drift from the pit. “The Omega is… Well, he is not exactly part of the pack, and yet he challenges the rest regardless for a place among them.”

“He’s a chewtoy for puppies,” Stinger surmises.

Cullen forces a breathy chuckle. “Ah… one could say that, yes.”

Cullen falls into a nervous silence as both Byrne and Ciara attack the pale lycantant. While he is bloodied and beaten down to the ground several times, he continues to stand and attack. He refuses to yield.

“Why does he look as he does?” Stinger asks.

Cullen puffs his chest, clearly taking offense where there is none. “Wise Genetics does not product weak stock, Mr. Apini, but it is--uh--of utmost importance to uphold pack dynamics. Caine Wise is--how would you put it?--a runt. An albino runt.”

Stinger’s eyes slightly narrow. “A mistake?”

Cullen quickly shakes his head. “Of course not! A pack must always have an Omega, or it will designate one.”

Byrne drags Caine to the ground, his teeth digging into his neck. Ciara leaps onto his chest, ripping at the already tattered clothing.

Cullen’s mask of cool fades. “For Helix sake, don’t let them kill him!” he shouts to the guards. “I’ll have a fucking recurrence before you lot get down there!” Immediately, the gates open and guards stream into the arena with electric prods sizzling. The lycantants back away, well aware of what defiance will cost them. The guards push them toward Byrne and Ciara, breaking their bloodlust as the two back away from the bloodied corpse of Caine Wise.

No, not corpse. Stinger’s eyes catch the smallest flutter of Caine’s chest. The pale lycantant looks more like chewed dinner meat than a body. Still, as the guards round the rest of the lycantants into a lineup, Caine’s fingers twitch against the dust, digging for something to hold onto.

“The boy still has fight in him,” Stinger says.

Cullen nods, but clearly isn’t listening fully. “Apologies for such a grisly display--but certainly a man of the Legion is used to such exhibits.”

“We’re used to blood,” Stinger says pointedly, and Cullen twitches. It’s not surprising that Entitleds wince from bloodshed when they have no need to take part in it themselves. This man, probably hundreds of thousands of years old like Stingers’ own breeder, wonders if he has seen blood since he scraped his knee as a clumsy toddler.

When the pit is clear of lycantants, Cullen turns to Stinger with a salesman’s smile. “How did you enjoy the show?”

Stinger’s forces his voice flat, refusing to sound impressed. “They seem hard to command and unruly.”

Cullen winces, opening his mouth to form a protest.

“I’ll take them all,” Stinger cuts him off.

Cullen stutters for a moment. “A-all? Of course!” His face lights up as he claps his hands together. “I’ll have the group prepared immediately. Without an Omega, the pack will not be so--how did you put it?--unruly. And the Legion will become their new Alpha.”

Stinger shakes his head. “No.”

“No?” Cullen gasps.

“No, I want the Omega, too. I want all of them.”

Cullen follows Stinger’s gaze out to the arena where other guards are gathering Caine Wise’s bloodied body. Caine’s eyes find Stinger for a moment, then fall on Cullen. In the quiet, Stinger can hear the growl that rumbles deep in Caine’s throat as he glares at his creator.

Stinger nods approvingly. “I especially want the Omega.”


End file.
